太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > more2-7 >

第3节

more2-7-第3节

小说: more2-7 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



      the pastoral censure; and think that it would be the most indecent 


      thing possible if men who are particularly distinguished by the 


      title of the 〃faithful〃 should not religiously keep the faith of 


      their treaties。 But in that newfound world; which is not more 


      distant from us in situation than the people are in their manners 


      and course of life; there is no trusting to leagues; even though 


      they were made with all the pomp of the most sacred ceremonies; on 


      the contrary; they are on this account the sooner broken; some 


      slight pretence being found in the words of the treaties; which 


      are purposely couched in such ambiguous terms that they can never 


      be so strictly bound but they will always find some loophole to 


      escape at; and thus they break both their leagues and their faith。 


      And this is done with such impudence; that those very men who 


      value themselves on having suggested these expedients to their 


      princes; would with a haughty scorn declaim against such craft; 


      or; to speak plainer; such fraud and deceit; if they found private 


      men make use of it in their bargains; and would readily say that 


      they deserved to be hanged。





      By this means it is; that all sorts of justice passes in the world 


      for a low…spirited and vulgar virtue; far below the dignity of 


      royal greatness。 Or at least; there are set up two sorts of 


      justice; the one is mean; and creeps on the ground; and therefore 


      becomes none but the lower part of mankind; and so must be kept in 


      severely by many restraints that it may not break out beyond the 


      bounds that are set to it。 The other is the peculiar virtue of 


      princes; which as it is more majestic than that which becomes the 


      rabble; so takes a freer compass; and thus lawful and unlawful are 


      only measured by pleasure and interest。 These practices of the 


      princes that lie about Utopia; who make so little account of their 


      faith; seem to be the reasons that determine them to engage in no 


      confederacies; perhaps they would change their mind if they lived 


      among us; but yet though treaties were more religiously observed; 


      they would still dislike the custom of making them; since the 


      world has taken up a false maxim upon it; as if there were no tie 


      of nature uniting one nation to another; only separated perhaps by 


      a mountain or a river; and that all were born in a state of 


      hostility; and so might lawfully do all that mischief to their 


      neighbors against which there is no provision made by treaties; 


      and that when treaties are made; they do not cut off the enmity; 


      or restrain the license of preying upon each other; if by the 


      unskilfulness of wording them there are not effectual provisos 


      made against them。 They; on the other hand; judge that no man is 


      to be esteemed our enemy that has never injured us; and that the 


      partnership of the human nature is instead of a league。 And that 


      kindness and good…nature unite men more effectually and with 


      greater strength than any agreements whatsoever; since thereby the 


      engagements of men's hearts become stronger than the bond and 


      obligation of words。








返回目录 上一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的